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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438058">it's you, it's always been you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bajillian/pseuds/Bajillian'>Bajillian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CorasValentine2021, Fluff, Law Doesn't Leave the Donquixote Family, M/M, One Shot, Secret Crush, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, kiss, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:03:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bajillian/pseuds/Bajillian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Law's been acting strange lately, so Rosinante decides to make this year's Valentine's Day a little more special. When Law asks for advice on how to ask someone to be his Valentine, Rosinante thinks he'd gotten his hopes up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante/Trafalgar D. Water Law</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it's you, it's always been you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for Cora's Valentine 2021 by <a href="https://corazon-week.tumblr.com/post/640051372211027968/hi-corazon-fans-we-are-here-to-announce">@corazon-week</a> on Tumblr! I had a lot of fun with this one! Happy Valentine's Day!</p><p>Kudos and comments are always appreciated! 💛<br/><a href="https://bajillianwrites.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosinante noticed that Law had been acting weird around him lately. Not particularly a bad weird, it wasn’t out of anger. He just seemed more… flustered. He’d avoid making eye contact or he’d trip over his words or his face would flush pink. Rosinante didn’t mind, but Law was usually the more cool and collected one between the two.</p><p>He wondered if it had anything to do with the holiday coming up tomorrow: Valentine’s Day. A couple of the family members would celebrate it with their long-time partners, but Rosinante and Law were amongst the few that used it as a day to appreciate their platonic loved ones. They didn’t mind it that way. Even then, though, Law was never usually this flustered.</p><p>Maybe Rosinante could make this one a bit more special for Law.</p><p>He was definitely hesitant, as he was thirteen years older and didn’t want to come off as some kind of creep. Plus, he’d been afraid of ruining the nice friendship they had. What if Law would be happier with a nice girl his own age? Or maybe he wasn’t looking for romantic love at all?</p><p>Rosinante wouldn’t push him, no matter what the reason was. He understood. But he was getting ahead of himself.</p><p>He puffed on his cigarette and reached into his desk drawer where Baby 5 had kept her art supplies she used to use when she was younger. There was construction paper, markers, glue… It was a kindergartener’s dream. However, Baby 5 was 24 now and she hadn’t looked in the drawer since she left elementary school. She wouldn’t mind if Rosinante put the supplies to a good use.</p><p>He picked out a pink piece of paper and scissors to start as he sat down. Maybe it was childish or cliché to make one of those foldable heart cards, but he quite liked them. They were cute. Cards bought at the store didn’t feel personal enough - of course, he appreciated them when he got them, but this was for Law. He deserved better.</p><p>It took some effort and a couple of knicks to his fingers from the scissors, but Rosinante managed to cut out the best heart shape that he could. He held it up and admired his work. Then, he reached back into the drawer to pull out a red marker so he could begin writing.</p><p><i>To: Law</i> </p><p>He was already stumped on what to write. ‘Be mine?’ or maybe ‘Will you be mine?’ or perhaps he could go straight for the ‘I love you’ right away. No. That might be too much. He settled with the second option, then got stumped again on how he should sign it. Would ‘love’ be too much or would ‘from’ be the safer option?</p><p>His thoughts were cut short when he heard a knock on the door, so he shoved everything into the drawer and sat back against his chair. Smoke. Act natural. </p><p>There was a beat before Law came into the room, still looking flustered. He closed the door behind him and fidgeted with his fingers. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”</p><p>“Not at all,” Rosinante spoke quietly. He trusted Law enough to use his voice, but he didn’t want anyone else to hear. “Is everything okay?”</p><p>Law nodded, though he wasn’t making eye contact. “Yeah, fine,” he said. “I came here to ask you for some… advice.”</p><p>Rosinante smiled. “I’m all ears.”</p><p>Law sighed. He was hesitating, Rosinante could tell. “I want to, um… How do you go about…” He gestured his hands vaguely, as if it’d help him get his point across that he was having trouble saying out loud. “I want to… ask someone to be my Valentine, but I’m not sure how to go about doing it. I’ve never really done it before.”</p><p>“Ooh, who’s the lucky girl?” Rosinante asked with a chuckle. He was half trying to calm Law’s nerves, half curious as to who it could be and wondered if it was him.</p><p>Law averted his gaze and crossed his arms. “You’ll know when I ask.”</p><p>Rosinante’s smile became more forced, though he tried not to show it. Ah. Maybe it wasn’t him, after all. </p><p>“I just came here for advice, not for your teasing.”</p><p>“Right,” Rosinante said with another chuckle. “Sorry, ah… Just be yourself. Be honest with your feelings, maybe… have flowers or chocolates. Those are the usual Valentine gifts, aren’t they?”</p><p>Law nodded and looked back up. “You don’t think they’re… I don’t know, overused?”</p><p>Rosinante shook his head. “No, I think people should use them more, but maybe I’m biased,” he said. “I can’t help loving all of the heart candies and heart boxes.”</p><p>Law nodded again. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “Do you have a Valentine this year?”</p><p>“Hm?” Rosinante’s smile faded and he looked down at the drawer. Well, now he wasn’t sure. “You don’t have to worry about me, Law, it’s okay.”</p><p>“I’m not <i>worrying,</i> I’m just curious,” Law mumbled.</p><p>It was Rosinante’s turn to be quiet as he thought. When he looked back up, the forced smile was on his face again. “I don’t think I do,” he said. “But there’s always next year.”</p><p>Law studied his expression carefully. “Yeah.”</p><p>The third silence was awkward, and it seemed to last forever before Law cleared his throat. </p><p>“I should start… preparing for tomorrow,” he said. He started his way to the door. “So I’ll see you around.”</p><p>Rosinante nodded. “Good luck with your Valentine,” he said. “Let me know how it goes.”</p><p>“Thank you.” </p><p>When the door closed, Rosinante slumped in his chair. Admittedly, he was a bit disappointed that his excitement for tomorrow was so quickly ruined, but he could still be happy for Law. If forcing Law into an awkward situation with a question he didn’t want to answer could be avoided, maybe it was for the best.</p><p>He reached over into the drawer to pick up the card; it’d crumpled a bit in his rush to hide it. At least it didn’t matter now. He stuffed it into his coat pocket so no one else would find it and laugh at how idiotic he had been to bring his hopes up that high. </p><p>Once his cigarette had reached the end, he managed to put it out in the ashtray without causing a fire. He shrugged his coat off to leave it on his chair so he could get ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to come, whether he liked it or not, so he figured he should at least try getting a good night’s sleep.</p><p>The next morning, he was woken up by his brother who asked if he was going to be at breakfast. After a brief conversation, with Rosinante signing his responses about not feeling well, Doflamingo left him alone.</p><p>He wondered if Law had asked whoever he was going to ask yet. He hoped they said yes. Law deserved that, at least.</p><p>With a sigh, he closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to get back to sleep, but he really didn’t feel like moving.</p><p>It was about an hour later when another knock sounded on his door. He opened his eyes to see Law walking through and holding something behind his back. The man still looked nervous.</p><p>“Hey,” Rosinante said softly. He decided to sit up, despite how much he didn’t want to move. “How did everything go with your Valentine?”</p><p>Law walked over to the bed, but didn’t sit down. He was doing a really good job at keeping whatever he was holding behind his back. “I haven’t asked him yet.”</p><p>“Oh?” Rosinante furrowed his brow. “And why not, what are you waiting for?”</p><p>There was that hesitation that Law had made a habit of this week, but when he revealed that he was holding a rose and a heart-shaped box of chocolates, Rosinante’s jaw dropped.</p><p>“It’s you, Cora,” Law said. “It was always you. You’re my Valentine.”</p><p>Rosinante stuttered on his words for a moment before he settled with pointing at himself like he was unsure if he was hearing that incorrectly. “Me?”</p><p>Law nodded.</p><p>“But you… You asked me for advice, so I thought…”</p><p>Law chuckled. “I was technically asking for advice on how to ask you,” he said. He averted his gaze, cheeks a faint pink. “Did it work?”</p><p>Rosinante nodded quickly. “Yes! Of course, Law. Yes,” he said, smiling brightly. He threw the covers aside so he could get up to walk to his desk. His excitement made him trip on the way, but once he assured Law that he was alright, he pulled the card he’d made out of his coat pocket. “I, um… I was making this for you yesterday before you came in.” He walked closer so Law could see. “But when you came to me for advice, I thought you were gonna ask someone else, so I thought maybe I shouldn’t-- mmph!”</p><p>Rosinante’s worries were cut off when Law set the items on the bed, pulled his face down, and locked their lips together. Despite the initial impact, the kiss was soft and brief. Rosinante’s eyes were wide open, even after Law pulled away.</p><p><i>“Oh…”</i> Rosinante let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.</p><p>Law reached for the card so he could read what was written on there. </p><p>Rosinante shook himself out of his dreamy daze and was stuttering all over again. “Sorry it’s so… it’s all crumpled,” he said. “Oh dear, I didn’t even sign it, I…”</p><p>“Cora,” Law began with a smile. He reached for one of Rosinante’s hands and laced their fingers together. “Don’t worry. I’ll be yours if you be mine.”</p><p>Rosinante smiled. “I’ll be yours.” He looked down at their hands and shifted on his feet. Now <i>he</i> was the one who was flustered. “Can we… kiss again?”</p><p>He didn’t have to ask twice. Law set the card down with the rest of the Valentine goodies so he could wrap his arms around Rosinante’s neck and lean in for another loving kiss.</p>
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